IID Kick Off Series: Esrah Du
Welcome to our Kick-Off Series, where IID staff, researchers, and students share the professional goals they’re pursuing and what they’re most excited about in 2026.
Esrah Du
Graduate Student, Catteruccia Lab
From top: Esrah by the water at sunset; playing with a blood cell stuffed toy; seated and center with the Catteruccia Lab at the 2023 IID retreat.
What professional goals are you pursuing this year?
Scientifically, we’ve been working on this really cool focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) dataset of two whole oocysts together with the Advanced Imaging Center at Janelia for the last few years. I think this project is finally at point where we are able to glean highly detailed insights into what happens during cell division in the oocyst and I’m really looking forward to getting this story out into the world this year!
What are you excited for in 2026? (It can be personal or professional, up to you!)
Professionally, I’m pretty stoked (and nervous!) to be defending my thesis in a few months. While it’s bittersweet, I’m excited to start thinking about next steps and how to continue applying everything I’ve learned and pushing myself to grow further. Personally, I’ve been getting into running, and I’m hoping to run a road race this year. Nothing too long or serious, but I think it should be fun and sweaty!
